Light-weight AR build for the wife

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,564
    Harford County, Maryland
    The pretty standard true HBAR carbine I mentioned in a previous post tips the scale at 8.1 pounds with a rather large early vintage dot sight, there’s a few ounces to save. The front sight base far outweighs an MBUS and low profile gas block, 3-4 ounces to be saved there. Throw in a light weight free float That carbine could be 7.5 pounds.
     

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,643
    PA
    Incredibly helpful post-- thanks and the pics are certainly welcome and appreciated. As always the MDS folks personal experience and suggestions add value to every project I've taken on to this point-- Great group to be associated with.

    Thanks, there is a little bit of an art in building a rifle for a specific person, or for a specific purpose. Weight, overall size, balance, ergos, even noise and small stuff like control size/layout all make a difference. Light weight alone can make a rifle far more accessible for many people, but overall length/LOP is just as important. My wife GREATLY prefers my small SBR/braced stuff, for much of the same reason I like them, light weight, good balance, easy to handle. She also hates flash/noise, while she doesn't really understand why I buy some of the gun stuff I do, she absolutely LOVES shooting suppressed, even a linear comp/flash can makes a rifle more accessible, hates the added noise from even mild brakes. Greatly prefers 9mm or even 300BO over 5.56 and it's greater flash/noise. She likes a simple red dot, or LPVO with a good 1X, not a fan of higher powered optics or irons.

    She likes large ambi controls, I run Raptors and Talons on everything anyway, but she also likes the oversized mag release and bolt catch too, makes then easier to see and work. Where I run a C grip with my support hand, she pulls in closer, and generally holds the magwell or close on the rail. Where I like at least a 9" M-lok with nothing on it, she runs 4" and 7" rails fine, likes a magwell that is easy to grip or a VFG(AFG on braced pistols) to help hold the rifle. She also likes smaller K/PWD braces and stocks, a little smaller footprint on the shoulder is more comfortable, and smaller grips for smaller hands, loves Magpul's slimline stuff. All in all if I build her a rifle, it would look completely different for something I would build myself, probably a PDW-ish 9mm suppressed SBR with red dot, and she likes shooting the couple AR9s I have more than anything rifle cal. She doesn't care for 16"+ rifles much, and hates a standard 16" M4 with irons, tiny controls, crappy trigger and muzzle heavy balance.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    IMO you really do hit diminishing returns with some of these ultra lightweight builds and at a cost of reliability in many cases.

    A standard HBAR built around a standard receiver set, M16 profile BCG, H buffer and minimalist stock and handguard will be pretty dang light. Or you can spend hundreds more for a difference in weight that you and your wife will likely not feel.

    Fluted barrels are nice, too, but I wouldn't go out of your way to have one fluted or pay too much extra for one. We're talking a few ounces at most.

    IIRC a fluted HBAR 16" shaves about 4-5oz depending on the type of fluting. That's not a bad savings, especially since it is mostly coming off the end of the gun.

    A 20" has a LOT of savings. About 6-7oz IIRC. That is pushing up on half a pound there. Again, from the end of the gun.

    Typically most you are looking at between $20-80 more for a fluted version of a heavy barrel depending on the manufacturer.

    Can't get much better weight savings per $ than that on parts with only a small number of exceptions.

    PS and not that you'd be building it, but the weight difference on a 24" fluted heavy barrel compared to a standard heavy barrel is about 10-11oz from way out there on the gun (my 24" fluted HBAR 6.5 grendel upper is not bad. Still front heavy, but not bad at all. Really accurate too).
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Thanks, there is a little bit of an art in building a rifle for a specific person, or for a specific purpose. Weight, overall size, balance, ergos, even noise and small stuff like control size/layout all make a difference. Light weight alone can make a rifle far more accessible for many people, but overall length/LOP is just as important. My wife GREATLY prefers my small SBR/braced stuff, for much of the same reason I like them, light weight, good balance, easy to handle. She also hates flash/noise, while she doesn't really understand why I buy some of the gun stuff I do, she absolutely LOVES shooting suppressed, even a linear comp/flash can makes a rifle more accessible, hates the added noise from even mild brakes. Greatly prefers 9mm or even 300BO over 5.56 and it's greater flash/noise. She likes a simple red dot, or LPVO with a good 1X, not a fan of higher powered optics or irons.

    She likes large ambi controls, I run Raptors and Talons on everything anyway, but she also likes the oversized mag release and bolt catch too, makes then easier to see and work. Where I run a C grip with my support hand, she pulls in closer, and generally holds the magwell or close on the rail. Where I like at least a 9" M-lok with nothing on it, she runs 4" and 7" rails fine, likes a magwell that is easy to grip or a VFG(AFG on braced pistols) to help hold the rifle. She also likes smaller K/PWD braces and stocks, a little smaller footprint on the shoulder is more comfortable, and smaller grips for smaller hands, loves Magpul's slimline stuff. All in all if I build her a rifle, it would look completely different for something I would build myself, probably a PDW-ish 9mm suppressed SBR with red dot, and she likes shooting the couple AR9s I have more than anything rifle cal. She doesn't care for 16"+ rifles much, and hates a standard 16" M4 with irons, tiny controls, crappy trigger and muzzle heavy balance.

    IMHO, I am with your wife. I hate brakes. Even on a bench gun. I am a giant nope for a gun you are going to carry in the field or self defense. Don't need to lose my hearing and any real difference in how fast I can accurately shoot due to reduced recoil would only be of a benefit if I had decent ear protection on. Plus a lot of brakes add weight out at the end of the gun and make them slower to swing and more tiring to carry. Not saying they don't have perks, but IMHO they are almost exclusively in the competition crowd where they are wearing good ear and eye pro and generally only need to worry about faffing around with the gun for a few minutes at a time.

    I can see the utility in very high energy rifles where you'd also still only be wearing ear and eye pro with. But I don't have any real interest in shooting those other than maybe a giggle fest on a few rounds from a 50BMG or what not.

    I'd like a 300WSM (I might consider 325wsm instead) some day. For hunting as much as long range shooting. But I plan to use it with a can (so probably 300wsm), not a brake. And won't be loading it up with a brake to save my shoulder (can will help a fair amount with that).

    Every single one of my ARs wears a linear comp for a reason...
     

    SkiPatrolDude

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 24, 2017
    3,331
    Timonium-Lutherville
    I initially put a VG6 Gamma brake on my wife's AR until I took it to the range to test. It's about the same size as a standard birdcage but WHOA it was loud. Took it off right when I get home and swapped for a spare Daniel Defense A2 style FH I had laying around.

    For the 5.56 at least, the benefits of a brake are far outweighed by the cons of muzzle blast back to the shooters ear and to the sides. An absolute no-go if the rifle may ever be used defensively.

    I think the best compromise between a brake and a compensator is the BCM Compensator Mod O. But they aren't cheap.

    https://bravocompanyusa.com/bcmgunfighter-compensator-mod-0-5-56/
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Latest posts

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,923
    Messages
    7,259,171
    Members
    33,349
    Latest member
    christian04

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom